Fractured Fairy Tales
by Teris Xenite
Summary: Two people in a hospital room, one lost in thought, the other injured. How did they come to be there? What secrets lie between them? What do they regret? Will they have a fairy tale ending? Or has their relationship reached it's experation date?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own them. Although after tonight's episode. I wish I did...cause who ever called the shots on putting that fight scene in is the coolest! Please don't sue...I'll return them, I promise. Not a scratch on em...see. No money do I make... 

Author's Note: This is the prologue to a story that's been in my mind for awhile. It's an unusual character pairing in general, and especially odd for me...but here it is. 

Fractured Fairy Tales 

by 

Teris Xenite 

terisxenite@hotmail.com 

*********************************************************************   
He sat in a cold sterile hospital room watching her sleep, and waiting for her to rouse from her drug induced slumber. Her wounds were almost completely healed, and she was almost ready to be discharged. He'd bribed the doctors to keep her heavily sedated until she reached this point for several reasons. First off, she hated hospitals and was arguably the worst patient that had ever been. But to be honest on that count, he couldn't say much, he didn't tend to follow doctors orders himself. That hadn't been his only reason though…not the only one by a long shot. 

Of course part of his decision had been that the longer she slept the more time he had to make his plans, without the emotional upheaval that her waking would bring. It didn't hurt that it meant he had more time to watch her here like this, either. She looked so beautiful when she slept, the strains of a life on the run erased from her face. Her lips were soft and reminded him of the woman he'd known before, the one who'd smiled invitingly at him, not the angry snarls of the woman that he'd almost grown to hate. He never told her that he loved her…and he didn't think that she'd ever really expected him to. 

Yet still she'd come to him, when she most needed protection, needed someone to trust with her life. In that moment, the distance that had grown between them didn't matter. He didn't see her as the woman he'd come to despise, because it was easier than laying blame where it belonged for the pain in his life. Instead he saw her face. With her eyes looking up at him with such intense emotion that he'd almost pulled away from her, because the power of it was almost too much to bare. He saw the twitch of her lips the moment before she burst out into laughter. He saw all of the good times they'd shared, and felt a stab of pain as he again realized the loss. 

The small speck of love that still survived in his cold heart called for him to help her. And so he sat, stiff and straight as his military training demanded, in a shoddy chair that would have reduced far greater men to slouching or squirming, and he waited for her to wake. And as he waited he searched her face for traces of the woman that he'd known so very long ago.   
  
************************************************************************************** 

Ok that's in...that's the prologue. What did ya think? Now here's the challenge...I want to see if anyone can figure out who it is. They are both Dark Angel characters. They aren't my usual pairing...And to make things intresting...the person(s) who guesses the pairing...will win an undecided on prize (anything from a cameo appearance, to a recurring role as an original character in later stories, or various other things). So review or e-mail me with your guess. Oh...and if you put your guess in an actual review...not just the two characters names...you'll be more likely to win a bigger prize ;). 

terisxenite@hotmail.com 


	2. Chapter One

Disclamier: No, I do not own them. I humbly bow towards those who do...please do consider this as a complement as it was intended. If you didn't create such convining characters, you wouldn't leave us all wanting more, now would you? Lastly...I will state again, it's less than pointless to sue me. 

Authors note: Thank you all sooooo much for the reviews. We did have one correct guess. MiraxTHorn, I'll be e-mailing you soon. Congradulations. I want you all to know, that I got some wonderful ideas from reading your comments. A special shout out to Kimmy (iluvaqt) for all of her help and encouragement on this story. Without her this story would never EVER have been updated this quickly. So everyone go read her totally awesome stories, and give her some kickin reviews ok. And keep your eyes peeled for our special collaboration, hitting your screens soon. Lastly, a welcome to my best real life buddy, Acire Fox, who has recently joined the fanfiction.net family. Go check her out if ya like Final Fantasy, cause she's a great writer :). 

Fractured Fairy Tale 

Chapter One 

Teris Xenite 

terisxenite@hotmail.com 

*********************************************************************   
He knew that he had several hours to wait before she woke. They'd kept her heavily drugged at his request, to the point that even after they stopped the medications it would take several hours for them to leave her system enough to for her to regain consciousness. He planned on making good use of those hours, to come up with a strategy for what he was going to say when she looked at him. What he would do when faced again with those beautiful blue eyes that had looked in him in passion, love, disbelief, anger, and pain. He was going to utilize those hours to figure out what he felt for her, and why after all these years the sight of her still affected him so deeply. 

But then he rationalized, _ I have hours. What can one more minute of watching hurt? _ He reached over and stroked the softness of her cheek, as he'd done so many times before. He allowed himself a moment of regret. A few seconds to wonder where things had gone wrong, and why things had to be the way they were now. Slowly the moments ticked away from him, as he searched for questions that he couldn't answer alone. 

Finally as she stirred, he decided that he would play it by ear. _The ball's in your court Adiranna, lets see how you deal with it. _ As she woke he watched her face carefully, seeing first a flicker of joy cross her eyes upon the sight of him by her bedside. Then the remembrance of the recent past brought something to her eyes that he'd hoped never to see directed towards him. A flash of fear, quickly hidden, but still it had been there. Part of him wanted to hold off on reassuring her, to let her feel the anxiety and stress that he'd suffered while he waited to find out if she would live. But the gasp his eyes elicited from her burned him to the core, and despite his desire to stay strong he couldn't stand that feeling another minute. 

"Relax Adrianna, if I wanted you dead you would be, and if I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't have brought you to a hospital." 

She looked around confused for a moment before meeting his eyes. "Why?" 

"You had a deal with me remember? You proved your loyalty to me, not Manticore, when you provided information on my kids." He saw a growing understanding in her eyes. "They weren't the ones that promised you a lot more birthdays, they didn't give a damn that you proved information, and they didn't give a damn about your loyalty. I did." 

"So Manticore still wanted me dead, and you shot me to make them think I was?" He acknowledged the truth of her statement with a slight inclination of his head and she continued. "Well, I've been shot at for worse reasons." 

He nodded, inwardly pleased with the fact that she seemed to accept his actions as necessary. "The nurse will be in with your clothes in a few minutes." As if on cue the nurse appeared, carrying a bundle of clothes. She bustled around tidying things for Adrianna's departure, blissfully unaware that her presence kept them from having to make small talk. The silence between them was painful and tense as they waited to tear into the real issue that lay between them. It wasn't as if they could simply say 'how have you been since we betrayed each other'. 

"Sir, if you don't mind stepping out for a moment. I'd like to help your wife get ready." Adrianna said nothing, but arched an eyebrow at the word _wife_. Lydecker merely nodded once, and left the room. "Now lets see if we can get you dressed and ready to get out of here shall we? I'm sure you're anxious to get home, and with a husband as fine as that one I can't say that I blame you." 

The nurse helped her sit, grimacing in sympathy as the motion pulled on the still healing muscles of her stomach. "I know it smarts a bit still, but the worst of it is over now. Just watch yourself if you have to sneeze or cough, and try not to laugh too much all right?" 

"May I ask you a question?" 

"Of course." 

"Did my husband…did he visit often?" 

"Every time he was able, though I'll wager that it wasn't nearly as often as he would have liked. People aren't much for giving compassionate leave these days. He convinced the doctor to keep you sedated until you were ready to be released…" The nurse trailed off as she saw the look of suprise on Adrianna's face as her words registered. 

"You mean he came to see me, even though he knew I was going to be sedated?" 

"You seem suprised?" 

"I wouldn't have thought…Things have been bad between us lately. I wouldn't have expected that from him." 

"Well I know you're not asking for my advice, but I'm going to give it to you anyway. I've seen the way that man looked at you when he knew you weren't going to be looking back. He was like a lost man looking for salvation, honey. Whatever you two had, he wants it back, badly. But it takes two. If you want things to work out between you, then they will. If you don't then no matter how hard he tries to make things right, they won't work. The question is, do you want things to work out?" 

She thought about it, and the more she tried to deny it the more she knew that she did want what they'd had back. In the beginning, things had been very, very good. Before committees and commitments got in the way, back when they were just two people wandering through their lives journey together. It had amazed her, but even when he was hunting her, there were still moments when she almost wished that he would catch her. The scent of his after shave on a man passing by her on the street was enough to stop her in her tracks. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't deny that even though she'd been running from him her heart had leapt at the thought of seeing him again. 

_ I know what I want, but will my wanting it really be enough? Could he really forgive me that easily?_

The nurse helped her into the soft over sized sweat pants, and she slid into a very familiar looking bra and panties. Then she reluctantly allowed the nurse to help her button the worn flannel shirt that completed the outfit. The shirt and pants were undeniably his, she could smell him on them despite the fact that they were freshly laundered. But to acquire her lingerie he had to have gone through her things. _Deck going through my underwear drawer, now I'll bet that was a sight._ Then a blush started to spread over her cheeks as she imagined his reactions to several pieces of clothing in her wardrobe. _This is going to be interesting._

Lydecker paced in the hall as he waited for the nurse to finish with Adrianna. She wasn't the only one who hated hospitals, although his reasons were far different from her's. He'd been able to push the images of his wife's pale and broken body from his mind at Manticore. It had been different there, his kids were strong. They were tough enough to take anything that he could dish out. Not that he didn't still worry, of course he did, but Adrianna was far more frail than his kids. She always had been, not that she could help being only human, but it hadn't made it any easier on him when he had to pull that trigger. 

So many things could have gone wrong. A few millimeters either way and he would have failed. He'd counted on her disbelief paralyzing her when she saw him as her executioner. He'd been right, she'd stood there frozen as the bullet tore it's path. Then she'd fallen, passed out from the pain as he'd planned. He'd considered a shot near her heart, as it would have been less difficult to recover from, and less painful. But in the end, he'd decided that there was too great a margin for error there. A single gasp between the time he pulled the trigger and the time the bullet impacted could have caused enough difference to make the shot unintentionally fatal. 

The path he'd taken was not with out risks, any gunshot wound to the stomach ran a deep risk of perodontisis. If she'd moved at the wrong moment, the bullet could have hit her spine. The wound could have become infected, or she could have hemorrhaged between the time he'd had the body dumped and the time that she had been picked up and brought here. But his plan had worked. Manticore had assumed her dead. The committee had taken no small pleasure in the fact that he'd punished her for her betrayal with a lingering, painful death. And they were delighted when he explained the lack of a body by saying that he'd off set the costs by selling it to an organ theft ring. 

No one had even questioned the plausibility of his story, and there were no inquires into hospital records to make sure she had indeed died. Part of him was glad that he didn't have to try to hide her from them this early in the game, but part of him wondered how they saw him. _Did no one doubt that I would kill her, given what we shared? True they didn't know the true extent of our relationship, but they at least had suspicions that we were intimate? Have I really become that cold hearted of a bastard?_

He was startled from his reverie as he heard raised voices from inside her room. "I am NOT AN INVALID damn it…" A moment later a very flustered nurse fled the room, her look of frustration turning into relief as her eyes lit on him. She rushed up to him, breathless and slightly disheveled. 

"Thank God you're still here, could you please talk to your wife?" 

"I take it she's having a problem with the fact that she can't be completely self sufficent?" 

"Yes, the wheelchair seems to be a specifically sore point." 

"I'm sure after that display you understand why I had you keep her sedated?" At the nurses nod, he made a show of sighing deeply and making God give me strength gesture. "I'll handle it…If I can't convince her, then I'll carry her out of here." 

"Well that'd be highly unusual, but seeing as it's you I think we can make an exception or two." He nodded and gestured for her to follow him. 

She sat up a little straighter when he entered the room, then glared as she saw the nurse behind him. "What's the matter? You couldn't handle me yourself so you had to call in the cavalry?" That remark earned her a glare from him, and she chose to book a tactical retreat for the moment. 

"Now what's this I here about you giving the nurse a hard time Dri?" 

"The same thing you always give me hell about in these situations. I'm not an invalid. I do not need one of those…" She trailed off gesturing in desgust at the wheelchair. 

"And your objection is duely noted, but the doctor and nurses say that you need one. So you can either get into it willingly…or I'll pick you up and put you in it. Your choice." 

She scowled and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling at the sight she presented. It just wasn't fair how cute she looked sitting there in his old clothes, scowling like a petulant child that couldn't have her way. "Well…I suppose, that if you object to it that strongly, I could just carry you out of here." 

"You wouldn't…" A raised eyebrow and a smirk made her think differently, assuring her that he would indeed carry her out of there kicking and screaming bloody murder if necessary. "Ok, so maybe you would." She paused considering her options, then with a deep sigh she waved the nurse forward. "Fine…I'll use the damn thing, but only because I don't feel like arguing with you right now." 

"Does that mean that you're planning on arguing with me later?" 

"Don't I always?" 

"Just remember how we tend to end up when we argue Dri. Don't start anything that you're not willing to finish." 

"Well ready and willing aren't really the problem at this point Deck, and I'm sure if we put our heads together we can figure out how to fit the able in there too. Don't you?" 

"Don't make promises that you're not planning on keeping Dri…" 

"Have I ever?" The twinkle in his eyes, and the faint hint of a smile that had been emerging during their banter disappeared. She cursed herself for her ill chosen words as she watched his eyes grow cold and his face harden again. 

"We'll have plenty of time to talk about that later, when we don't have an audience. For now…" He motioned the nurse away and lifted her gently into his arms. She opened her mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes warned her against it, and the words died in her throat. A part of her acknowledged that she'd brought this upon herself with her ill timed reminder of her betrayal. So instead of protesting as she had planned, she quietly accepted the comfort that his arms offered. She allowed herself to be lulled to sleep by his warmth, the steady sound of his heartbeat, the spicy scent of his after shave, and the cool crisp cotton of his shirt where it rested against her cheek. 

He felt her nuzzle his chest and give a soft little sigh of contentment. He was thankful for the calming effect that the feeling of her slight body pressed against him incited upon his temper. Even at the worst part of their time together, all it took was a single look at her to arouse his protective instincts. He could be cold or abrupt towards her, could even allow cruel psychological manipulations…but never had he been able to use his strength against her. 

He'd always been thankful for that. She had always inspired extremes of emotion that few before her had. With them it was love or hate, but never indifference. He was either perfectly content to have her cuddled in his arms, or he was angry enough to consider following through on the committees orders. But even in the midst of his rage, his feelings for her invariably won out. All it took was a comment, a look, or a smile, and he remembered why he'd fallen for her in the first place. And that remembrance soothed his anger, leaving him with feelings that he'd never voiced, and seldom acknowledged even to himself. 

**********************************************************************************************   
So what do you think? Please do review, or e-mail. Let me know what you think? The more feedback...the faster the updates come. What can I say, my muse is a glory hound ;). 

terisxenite@hotmail.com 


	3. Chapter Two

Disclamier: No, I do not own them. I humbly bow towards those who do...please do consider this as a complement as it was intended. If you didn't create such convining characters, you wouldn't leave us all wanting more, now would you? Lastly...I will state again, it's less than pointless to sue me. 

Authors note: Thank you all sooooo much for the reviews. A special shout out to Kimmy (iluvaqt) for all of her help and encouragement on this story. So everyone go read her totally awesome stories, and give her some kickin reviews ok. And keep your eyes peeled for our special collaboration, hitting your screens soon. Lastly, a welcome to my best real life buddies, Acire Fox, and Jacen Adar who have recently joined the fanfiction.net family. Go check their stuff out if ya like Final Fantasy, cause they're great writers :). 

Fractured Fairy Tale Chapter 2 

by 

Teris Xenite 

terisxenite@hotmail.com   


*********************************************************************************************   
The nurse preceded him holding doors and such so that he could avoid jostling Adrianna as much as possible. He could tell that she'd fallen asleep by her stillness, and the steady pace of the warm breath on his chest. He breathed deeply to catch the scent of her that lay buried under the harsh hospital disinfectant. He wondered how after all these years she still smelled of lilacs, and why that still affected him the way that it was at the moment. He questioned how she still felt so very good, so right in his embrace, even after all this time and the secrets between them. And above all he pondered how she could fall asleep so easily in his arms. 

All of these things had influenced him earlier. For a few moments he could almost forget that they'd ever been apart. When she was there arguing with him like she had a thousand times before, it'd been easy to ignore what had passed between them. Then with one careless remark she'd brought those painful memories back to him. Reminded him of the one lie she had told him, that one lie that over shadowed a thousand unvarnished truths. _Well, it was almost the truth, you almost always told me the truth. But you lied to me once, how can I know that you won't again?_

When they reached his car the nurse opened the door for him, and waited as he placed Adrianna gently in the back seat. He maneuvered her so that she was lying in a more comfortable position, and so that he could watch her in the rear view mirror as he drove. He took advantage of her slumber to brush away a lock of her hair that had fallen over her cheek. She smiled and turned into his touch suprising him, but not near so much as the small whimper of protest she uttered when he took his hand away. He shut the door softly, and turned to face the nurse. 

"Do you have any questions before you leave?" 

"No, I understand how to take care of her from here." 

"Good…" She turned and almost walked away, but then turned back to him. "Don, I know things have been rough between you two. But everything will work out." 

He graced her with a smile then, for she had been very kind to them both. He didn't know if he was quite ready to believe her prognosis on his situation with Adrianna though. After all there were countless facts and formalities that she didn't have the foggiest idea about. It wasn't as if they were having what could be considered normal 'marriage' problems. He did his best not to recoil when the nurse reached out and touched his shoulder. People invading his personal space, no matter how kind or well intended, was a no no. But since she had been so nice, he dealt with it. 

She had a soft comforting smile, and there was a warmth in her eyes that reminded him of someone. "Remember…with love and patience all things are possible. But you'll never know, if you don't at least try. You owe yourself that, you owe her that." 

"I'll try…I won't promise anything, but I will try." 

"Well that's all anyone can ask. Now you take care, and be careful driving home. I don't want to be seeing either of you again anytime soon." 

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled and waved as she walked away, then settled himself in for the long drive that lay ahead. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he glanced back at her sleeping form. He wasn't going to lie to himself. He knew that he was not the world's most patient man, and he'd never classified the feelings he had for Adrianna as love. But a part of him did miss that closeness, missed the contentment that came with having a lover who knew you well. He missed the way that she could sense when he needed comfort or support, without a single word from him. And he missed cradling her in his arms when she was lonely, or afraid. 

It had been a very long time since he'd been able to trust anyone in his life. It would be a gamble, yes. But when he thought about it the stakes were actually very low. He was the only person of consequence that knew she was alive, no one was looking for her. And since no one was looking for her, no one would find her. _What could it hurt? What the hell, I may as well try. Worst come to worst, she tries to leave and I kill her._ That thought gave him pause. _Could I really kill her?_ He looked at his hands, they were far from clean. He'd taken life many times before, but when it came down to it could he take hers? 

A sinister voice whispered in his head that if she tried to run from him again, he wouldn't have a choice. There were too many things that he couldn't leave to chance. He couldn't let her be captured by a foreign program, he couldn't let her be captured by Manticore. Either case would bring questions he couldn't answer, and pain for them both. And God forbid that Renfro figure out that he'd been the one who'd helped her escape her death sentence. She'd use her against him in a heart beat. 

_Well that leaves me with two options. She can stay with me, and I can protect her. Or she can decide she wants to run from me again, and I kill her. But if she stays, well that gives me a whole new realm of possibilities doesn't it?_ He looked back at her, and lost himself for a moment in the thought that things could be as they once were. Then for the first time in a long while, a true smile graced his features. _Who knows? Stranger things have happened.___

**********************************************************************************************   
So what do you think? Please do review, or e-mail. Let me know what you think? The more feedback...the faster the updates come. What can I say, my muse is a glory hound ;). And all comments are greatly appreciated! Even flames, which will be used to keep my feet warm as I sit typing away at my computer :). 

terisxenite@hotmail.com   
  
  



	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: No, I do not own them. I humbly bow towards those who do...please do consider this as a complement as it was intended. If you didn't create such convincing characters, you wouldn't leave us all wanting more, now would you? Lastly...I will state again, it's less than pointless to sue me. 

Authors note: I'm sending a special shout out to Kimmy (iluvaqt) for all of her help and encouragement on this story. So everyone go read her totally awesome stories, and give her some kickin reviews ok. And keep your eyes peeled for our special collaboration, hitting your screens soon. And everyone...not to be a review hogger or anything...but the same three people have reviewed the last two chapters...I'm thinking of just finishing this and sending the rest of it to them. Cause if ya'll don't review, I don't know that you're reading and if you're not reading I have no reason to post. So please? 

Fractured Fairy Tale Chapter 3 

by 

Teris Xenite 

terisxenite@hotmail.com   


********************************************************************************************* 

After driving late into the night he pulled over at a road side hotel, and got a room. The hotel clerk didn't even look up, just slid the key over the counter after he'd presented the cash. The teenager grunted something that sounded like no when he asked if the room had two beds, and only the fact that he was bone weary and didn't want to draw attention to himself kept him from smacking him out of his chair as punishment for his rudeness. He decided to let it slide for the moment and headed back to the car. 

Fortunately he was parked near the room so he turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. He'd become accustomed to cheap hotel rooms in the years that he'd been looking for his kids. The fact that no noxious odors greeted him as he opened the door was a definite plus. He flipped the light switch on and looked around. _Not bad overall…it's not the best I've ever seen, but its not the worst either. It'll do for tonight. _ He left the door open and went to retrieve Adrianna. 

He carried her once again cradled to his chest like one would a small child. She nestled into him again as soon as he touched her, and he smiled. _I wonder if you're going to feel like doing that when you're awake?_ He gently laid her on the bed, and removed her socks and shoes. Then he decided that she was going to be sleeping in her or rather his clothes tonight. There were some limits to even his will power. He tucked her under the covers, before heading into the bath room to change. 

As he washed his face he thought of what he should say to her tomorrow, and when nothing brilliant came to mind he decided to employ a tactic he hated although he was good at it. He would wait and see what happened, and then deal with the consequences as they arose. He looked in the mirror, searching his reflection for answers. Instead he found only visible proof of the ways he'd changed since she'd been gone. 

The planes of his face had hardened, making it nearly impossible to imagine that he'd once laughed easily and often. Faint lines had appeared around his mouth, and they seemed to deepen under his scrutiny, as did the furrow in his forehead. Those at least he could accredit to gross repeated military incompetence, and the stress of trying to bring his wayward children in from the cold. He'd had a small victory with the return of Brin, but it was greatly overshadowed by the repeated loss of both Max and Zack. 

Zack's response to him in his interrogation still haunted him. "You want to bring your kids home Lydecker? You think you've made this a home for us? A haven?" Zack's questions required no response and had been flung at him with such anger and sarcasm. "Congratulations. You've created a place so miserable that they'd rather die than come back here. And I'll die before I'll help you drag them back." 

_Where did I go wrong? All I wanted was to make the world better. To keep my kids safe from the dangers and pain of the world._ True he'd put his kids through grueling training, but it was only to make them better. To help them survive. True he'd forced them to relinquish emotion, but it was only to spare them the pain that it invariably brought. True he'd punished them, but how else were they going to learn to obey? He'd never done anything with the express purpose of being cruel, or of causing them pain. 

But Zack's bitter words make him question his denials and rationalizations for the first time in years. As he opened the door he saw her face illuminated in the soft moon light, and in that instant he pondered what could have been. What if things had been different. What if he'd run from Manticore with her? Would they have both been killed? Would they have remained together? Settled down? Maybe even made a life, had children? 

He shook his head to clear it of all such useless thoughts. There was no need to wonder what might have been, it was over and done with. He'd made his choices as had she, and now the two of them were going to have to deal with the consequences. But as he slid into bed beside her, a part of himself that he so often buried admitted that it would be nice to simply be the man in her life. The thought of a life with her, free from intrigue and deceit did have it's charms. _But that's never going to be possible for us is it Adrianna?_

As if sensing his thoughts she curled up beside him and lay her head on his chest and one of her arms around him, like she'd done all those nights before. He smiled then, a grim bittersweet smile and kissed her forehead gently, taking care not to wake her. _Well normal may never be an option, but I'll take what I can get._ And then he drifted off to sleep surrounded by her warmth, and the soft scent of lilacs.   


**********************************************************************************************   
So what do you think? Please do review, or e-mail. Let me know what you think? The more feedback...the faster the updates come. What can I say, my muse is a glory hound ;). And all comments are greatly appreciated! Even flames, which will be used to keep my feet warm as I sit typing away at my computer :). 

terisxenite@hotmail.com   
  



	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the characters or the premise of Dark Angel, James Cameron/20th Century Fox do. Please don't sue me. I'll return them, no money do I make. I'll even make you cookies as a show of my appreciation.

Author's Note: I want you all to know, that I got some wonderful ideas from reading your comments. Thanks for reviewing :). A special shout out to Kimmy (iluvaqt) for all of her help and encouragement on this story. Without her this story would never EVER have been updated this quickly. So everyone go read her totally awesome stories, and give her some kickin reviews ok. And keep your eyes peeled for our special collaboration, hitting your screens soon. My buddy Acire Fox gets a shout out too...when ever I'm stuck on Lydecker's characterization, I ask her the questions I need the answered and there we have it. 

Fractured Fairy Tales: Chapter Four   
  
by   
  
Teris Xenite ****************************************************

She woke the next morning with a warm, heavy weight across her back. A few breaths and the rational deductive powers that had made her so valuable to Manticore kicked in. _ It feels like an arm, but it can't be an arm…unless. Oh God. Please don't let this mean that I went out, got drunk, and brought some scum home and slept with him. _ She closed her eyes against the thought and only to have them snap open again as the deep breath she'd taken to steady herself brought his familiar scent to her. 

He shifted in his sleep, let lose a half-formed grumble, and tightened his grip on her. _Oh my God, it wasn't a dream. He really is here. _ She watched him sleep for a moment, able to take her time and catalogue the changes in him for the first time that she'd seen him again. Even as he slept she could spot differences. He was on edge, and while she once could have slipped from his arms without incident she doubted that would be the case now. 

_Well, I can either lie here and stare up at him until I get a crick in my neck, and probably piss him off if he wakes up and catches me. Or I can hunker down and get some more of the best sleep I've had in years. She considered for a few moments. Definitely sleep. _ She lay her head back on his chest, smiling as the pulsing of his heart beat reached her ears. The combination of soft, warm skin and crinkly hair beneath her cheek brought a soft sigh of contentment to her lips. He still smelled of earth, and man, and strength, and she let all of these things wrap around her as she slid back into a dreamless sleep. 

A few hours later she woke again. She was still in his arms, but she had the distinct feeling that she was being watched. She considered faking sleep for the moment, to avoid ending what had been a wonderful dream. She was sure the peace between them had been just that, a wonderful dream that would look a lot different in the harshness of the morning's light. She decided that she might as well go ahead and face him, because there would be no way he wouldn't realize that she was awake. Not as many times as he'd watched or held her as she slept. 

She looked up and met his piercing blue eyes with her own. His face was expressionless, and his eyes betrayed not a speck of emotion. _ Damn, he always was better at hiding things than I was. _ Finally after a moment she decided to try for a good start at least. "Good morning." She tried not to let her face show that she was waiting eagerly for his response. Moments passed in silence and she was beginning to wonder if he would answer her or punish her for her transgressions with cold, unyielding silence. 

He could see the trepidation in her eyes, and decided to keep her waiting a few seconds longer than necessary. It was petty to leave her hanging like that, and he knew it. But damnit, she hadn't apologized for any of the things she'd put him through in the last few years. He wasn't going to deny that he understood her reasons, or that he agreed with most of the things she'd done. Be he had no intentions of forgiving her and trying to go back to the way things had been before until she gave him some indication that she wanted that as well. She was the one who had left him, and if she wanted him or his forgiveness she would have to come to him. He'd be damned if he'd greet her hat in hand only to have her make a fool out of him. Finally he decided that he'd left her in suspense long enough, and grunted a non committal. "Morning." 

_Well not the happy satisfied greetings of past mornings, but I suppose given the circumstances it's the best I could expect. It's not like he's going to sweep me up in his arms, kiss me, and tell me all's forgiven. Get a grip Adrianna, real life doesn't work that way, and you're not living in a fairy tale so you better get used to it. _ "Still seeing the glass as half full after all these years Deck?" She commented knowing that he'd remember the conversation they'd had on the subject just as well as if not better than she did. 

*******************************************  


It was early morning and the sun had just begun to stream through his window. He opened his eyes slowly, and smiled at the sight of her small form laying beside him with her head pillowed on his chest. He took a few moments to watch her sleep, enjoying the warmth of her pressed against him, the smile on her face, and the way she would nestle even closer to him every so often. Finally he stroked her side with the hand that was draped over her back and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She wrinkled her nose and burrowed her head deeper into his shoulder. 

"Dri…It's time to get up."

"Mhhh…I don't wanna." She said and then continued to lie bonelessly against him. 

"Adrianna…." He let his voice drop deeper and the tone of authority take over, as he drew out her name. 

"Alright, alright. I'm up…" She sat up and stretched, giving him a very pleasant view to start off his morning. Some how the sight of her in clothes she'd borrowed from him was more of a turn on that any lingerie he'd ever seen her in. Maybe it was because of the implied intimacy; after all very few women in his life got the privilege of pilfering from his closet, any woman could make a trip to a lingerie store. Maybe it was the fact that she only wore his clothes after he'd taken hers off, or maybe it was desire left from the night before. Whatever the reason she looked very sexy in her borrowed t-shirt, and he'd love to relieve her of it. 

She looked over at him after the sleep had cleared from her eyes, and smiled. "Good morning…"

"Morning." He sat up and pulled her back towards him. He started to nibble her earlobe as his fingers gently grazed the love bites he'd given her the night before. "You know, if I skip my run…and you shower here instead of going home we'd have time to…" 

His words were halted as she pulled away and shook her finger at him. "Ah-ah-ah…there'll be none of that this morning. We've been late to work once this week already. If we're not careful they'll get suspicious."

"Johnston is in DC as of this morning, Correll is on personal leave, and Refno's been late four times this week because she's trying to get her hooks into Masterson. No one else will notice or care if they do. Well except Jenson, and he'll just notice that I'm in a good mood, and be thankful for it."

"You mean you're not going to start yelling for him as soon as you hit the front gate?" She said laughing at the mental image of Deck's beleaguered, though fiercely defended office assistant. Deck was tough on his staff, of that there was no doubt. But his command was at least free of backstabbing and conniving of those his junior officers: Johnston, Correll, and Refno, who constantly tried to discredit Deck with the committee. 

"No…I'll wait until I get to the mess hall at least, give him a break." He smiled and pulled her playfully back into his arms. "Now where was I…"

"Mhhh…you know I'm not sure, maybe we should start from the top and work our way down. Just to cover all our bases?" 

"Well it certainly wouldn't do to neglect anything now would it…" She didn't answer in words; instead her vocalizations were limited to sighs, moans, and soft whispers, as he proceeded to demonstrate how successfully he could accomplish his mission. With the ease of lovers who knew each other well, they touched the stars together and lay together afterwards communicating with out words. 

Finally she broke the silence. "Deck, why don't you ever say good morning?"

"What do you mean? I say good morning…"

"No…you say hello, or you say morning. But you never say good morning." She paused a moment considering. "I'm certain you've never said good morning."

"What's with the questions this morning Dri?"

"Mhh I don't know, just curious I guess."

"I guess it's because you can't say that it's going to be a good morning first thing. You don't know, because it hasn't even started yet."

"But still you can hope can't you?"

"It seems a bit presumptuous, if you assume things are going to turn out badly you're pleasantly suprised when they turn out well."

"Such a pessimist…I'm going to have to work on that…" She punctuated the statement with a kiss. 

****************************************** 

He remembered that he had told her good morning once, only she hadn't been there to hear it. Instead he'd awaken to a cold, empty bed and walked out his door that morning sentenced to live a cold, empty life once again. It just reinforced what he'd always told himself. It was better to expect the worst of everyone and everything, because if you fail to do that it comes back to bite you in the ass every time. 

"I've seen nothing to disprove that theory yet."

"I'm sorry to hear that…"

Silence descended upon the room as she waited to see how he'd answer that last remark. It was true. She'd hoped that he'd find something to make him happy after she was gone. Something to give him the hope and comfort that always seemed to elude him. "There are some things for you to change into in the bath room, go get ready and we'll head out." She took his words as the dismissal that they were, and began to disengage herself from their embrace. His hand pressing the small of her back gave her a seconds pause. "Be careful, and if you need help call me." She nodded and left quickly leaving him to consider his next actions.

*****************************************

The heat of the shower left her feeling clean for the first time in what seemed like forever, and she immediately felt better despite of the muscle twinges and stiffness when she lifted her arms to wash her hair. _It always does help not to feel like something that emerged from the swamp. Sponge baths just aren't the same. _ She even hummed as she got out of the shower only to stop dead as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. _ My God…is this what he sees when he looks at me? _

No one could have ever called Adiranna ugly, and she'd never subscribed to the school of thought that the more jewelry and make up you wore the more beautiful you were. But as she surveyed the image before her, she couldn't help but wish for a touch of blush or a smudge of eyeliner. Her stay in the hospital had left her with waxy skin, limp and lifeless hair, and dark circles under her eyes. Granted she was alive to criticize her appearance, but that only went so far when the man she'd dreamed of was just through that door and she looked like death warmed over. 

_Well, there isn't much I can do about that now. _ She realized then that she had been prancing around the room clothed in only a towel. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and continued getting ready, reluctantly trading in the soft worn cotton culled from his closet for the crisp linens she'd always preferred. She'd pulled on her under ware and fastened her bra. The pulling from the later reminded her that she needed to clean her wound and change the dressing. _ Oh..this is going to be fun. _ For an instant she considered calling Deck to help her, then shook her head dismissing the thought. _ No, he already thinks I'm weak enough as it is. I can deal with this on my own. _

She reached for the gauze and bottle of antiseptic that he'd left out for her, suprised when she was suddenly overcome with a wave of dizziness. Her hands quickly grabbed for the sink so that she could continue to remain upright. As the room continued to spin the thump of the bottle from her hand onto the floor barely registered in her mind. 

He had just begun to wonder if Adrianna was alright, but then dismissed it. _She's recovering from a gun shot wound, that make things difficult, therefore it would take her longer to get ready. You know that first hand remember? Calm down, or you're never going to pull off the solid front that you want. You want her to come to you remember? _Just then he heard a thump. _ Not loud enough to be a body, but she shouldn't be bending down to get anything either. _ He debated for just a few seconds. _ Oh hell…just go check on her. It's going to drive you nuts until you do. _

He stepped quickly to the door, and knocked softly knowing that the sound would carry well through the thin wood. _ It wouldn't do to startle her, she's probably already unsteady on her feet as is. _ "Adrianna? Are you alright?" There was no answer, and he almost panicked. "Adrianna?" Still no answer, he turned the knob thankful that she'd left it unlocked. "Adrianna I'm coming in."

He opened the door slowly, thankful when he didn't feel any resistance. Her back was towards him, but the reflection of her face in the mirror was ashen. He took in the beads of sweat on her brow, and the whiteness of her knuckles grasping the sink. Realizing that she was holding herself up by sheer will he quickly moved to help her, guiding her to sit on the commode. "Adrianna, can you hear me?" 

The room was still spinning, but there was a solid warmth behind her. She leaned towards it, and felt herself being guided, then lowered onto something solid and cold. But the warmth wasn't gone, and she tried to focus. "Adrianna, can you hear me?" _ Deck. _ She nodded weakly unable to speak, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He grabbed a cool cloth and bathed her face, and brought her some water. 

As he took in her pale form he realized his mistake. She'd never taken well to anestisia, although the more precise dosages at Manticore had helped tremendously. That coupled with the fact that she hadn't eaten solid food in over a week, and the fact that hospital had based the dosages of the sedatives and pain killers on the weight that he'd told them all contributed to the weakness she was experiencing now. He'd given them the weight that she'd been when she'd left, and the woman before him was at least twenty pounds lighter than the one he'd known then. _ Damn Dri, what have you been doing with yourself…You weren't big as a minute to start with. _ "Adrianna…can you hear me?" 

She nodded, and then cleared her throat before asking softly: "Deck, what happened?"

"I think you'd better tell me. What happened to call me if you need anything?"

"I didn't have time to. I just remember feeling dizzy and you then were there." 

He nodded then pressed the back of his hand to her cheek softly. "Well, I don't think you've got a fever. Probably trying to do too much too soon."

"Maybe."

"I should have just said to hell with being a gentleman and came in here to help in the first place." Her cheeks colored at the thought of him helping her bathe or dress, and the color deepened as she realized that he might very well have to help her with the latter. He chuckled at the blush, shaking her head at the foolishness of it. "You don't have to be embarrassed Dri, it's not like we haven't done this before." 

"I know…but that was different." _Things were different. _

He didn't comment, instead he brought his hands gently to rest over the plastic covered bandage. "This still needs to be cleaned doesn't it?" She nodded, and he picked up the bottle of alcohol from where it had fallen, along with the scissors. He grabbed the rolls of gauze and tape that he would need and put them close at hand before he removed the old bandage. Then he rose to dispose of it and wash his hands before cleaning the area. 

He soaked a ball of cotton in the alcohol, and cautioned her before he touched it to her skin. "I'm sorry, this is probably going to sting." She nodded and he pressed the ball to her skin and heard her gasp, he finished with the painful part as quickly as possible. He allowed the alcohol to evaporate, and then he placed a clean bandage over it and taped it securely. He repeated the process on her back, before crouching beside her. "Feel better now? Any more dizziness? Chills? Anything?"

"No…I'm fine." She lowered her eyes and they sat in silence for a few moments. She became lost in her memories of former first aid sessions conducted with much more fun and laughter, not to mention liberal sprinklings of kisses. His hands hand been gentle when they'd tended her, but they'd also been strictly business as well. 

She was pulled from her thoughts by the feel of his hands changing positions, one remained on her shoulder to hold her upright and the other reached over and grabbed the clothes that he'd laid out for her. He placed her feet and legs into her pants then lifted her easily and slid them up over her hips. Then he raised her arms carefully guiding them into the sleeves of the sweater that he'd chosen for her, and in a blink of an eye he had it over her head. "Do you think you can stand?" 

She nodded and he helped her into a standing position. He gave her a moment to allow her to regain her balance, then stepped away cautiously, but still close enough to be able to catch her if need be. He led her to the sink and placed her hands on the sides, pressing them there to let her know that he wanted her to keep them there. Her eyebrows raised as he picked up a brush and began to brush her hair. "Deck, I can…"

"Do this yourself…possibly. The question is can you do it without pulling on your stitches, and having it hurt like hell?" She was silent as he finished knowing that she'd been caught. When he finished her hair was spread around her shoulders to air dry before going out into the cool air. He raised an eyebrow sardonically as if to say 'was that so bad'. He was taken aback when she turned in his arms. 

His eyes were still mesmerizing, even after all these years. The warmth from his body called to her, and she swayed towards him almost imperceptibly. "Thank you…" The words were vague, and she knew that he'd wonder if they were meant to thank him for helping her dress, saving her life, or something different altogether. She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder lightly. She was suprised when his arms wrapped around her comfortingly. _Maybe things aren't as bad as I thought. Maybe there is a chance for us after all. _

****************************************

So what do you think? Please do review, or e-mail me at: terisxenite@hotmail.com. Let me know what you think? The more feedback...the faster the updates come. What can I say, my muse is a glory hound ;). And all comments are greatly appreciated! Even flames, which will be used to keep my feet warm as I sit typing away at my computer :).


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the characters or the premise of Dark Angel, James Cameron/20th Century Fox do. Please don't sue me. I'll return them, no money do I make. I'll even make you cookies as a show of my appreciation, or I would have once. Joss Whedon is my master now ;).

Author's Note: I'm willing to bet that every one had given this story up for dead. And it very well might have been, but I stumbled upon a half completed chapter on my hard drive the other day and remembered why I'd fallen in love with the characters in the first place. A special shout out to Kimmy (iluvaqt) for all of her help and encouragement on this story, and in all the facets of life, though I don't get to talk to her near so much as I'd like. This chapter and all the following are dedicated to her. So everyone go read her totally awesome stories, and give her feedback ok. My buddy Acire Fox gets a shout out too...when ever I'm stuck on Lydecker's characterization, I ask her the questions I need the answered and there we have it (congrats on beating Deck by the way Acire).

Fractured Fairy Tales

Chapter Six

Teris Xenite

* * *

She felt heavenly pressed up against him, and he knew that she'd taste even better. As much as he was enjoying this, the soldier in him was angry at her for putting herself in such a vulnerable spot. After all she didn't know if she could trust him yet, and she knew exactly what someone could do in this position. She'd had an excellent teacher when it came to the art of war. He'd taught her himself. But even though he knew it was stupid of her to trust him, he reveled in the fact that she did. _Just enjoy it, you of all people know how short the life span of happiness is._

He brushed his thumb over her collarbone as he held her shoulder, he felt how fragile she was beneath his touch, and it reminded him to be vigilant of the fact that she was indeed delicate. "You're welcome." He replied leaving as much up in the air as she had with her thank you. He led her into the bedroom, and lowered her gently onto the bed, telling her to rest. Reassuring her that he'd be right back, he showered and slipped on his clothes.

She was sleeping again when he emerged moments later, and he fought the urge to climb back in bed with her. She looked so soft now, so free from the stresses that the world had forced upon her and here with her at her most vulnerable he could pretend that nothing had changed. He could pretend that she'd never left him and that they were still happy and in love.

Almost of its own power his hand reached out and caressed her cheek gently. He knew he should be angry with her, and somewhere deep down he was sure he was. But at this moment, all he could think was how glad he was that she was here, relatively unharmed, with him again. The time for anger would come, but it had been so very long since there had been anything for him. Not the commander, but the man.

As much as he desired the few stolen moments of sleep he was contemplating he knew that he had to go. She needed food to heal, and he needed for them to move on her his peace of mind. He considered carrying her to the car, but that would draw too much attention to them in broad daylight. It was dangerous for anyone to remember seeing her so close to Manticore's base of operations. He decided to let her sleep, and left in search of a suitable breakfast for them.

It was dark. Soul piercing inky blackness, the kind that seeps into your bones, fills your heart with dread and your stomach with lead. And it was all around her. She couldn't breathe, there was a weight on her chest, and even if she could the air tasted of rock dust, and was so thick that it made her cough painfully when she tried. The muffled sounds of accented voices, and footsteps filled the air, but they were growing fainter. She strained her ears, and could barely make out.

"Ella es probablemente ya muerta, o ella será para el momento en que la alcancemos. No podemos arriesgarlo. "

_She's probably already dead, or she will be by the time we reach her. We can't risk it._

She wanted to scream. She wanted to claw her way through the rocks that covered her, but she couldn't. She couldn't even move.

"Estoy apesadumbrado que Adrianna, yo está tan apesadumbrado. El dios de mayo esté con usted. "

_I'm sorry Adrianna, I'm so sorry. May God be with you._

The cold realization swept over her. _They're going to leave me to die. I'm going to die. _ She panicked, and tried to claw her way out, but she couldn't. And then there was darkness.

He heard her whimpers through the door, and nearly broke it down trying to get to her. It seemed to take forever but when he'd finally gotten it open he was shocked to see her as he'd left her. From the noise alone he'd thought that someone from Manticore had found her. She was in an equally bad place, he realized. He'd seen enough night terrors to recognize this for what it was, a hell made of your own mind. He'd even suffered a few himself.

Normally the best thing to do was wait it out, and then offer the person comfort. Clinically, logically he knew that. She did too, having been thrown across the room after trying to comfort him during one of his. But if she kept struggling as she was now she was going to rip her stitches open. _Well, guess you get to get even for that one after all Dri, it's my turn to get beaten on. _

He waited for the right moment so that he could get the best hold on her then pounced. He grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides, by circling one of his arms around her tightly. Then he held her legs still by wrapping one of his legs around hers at the knees. Held so closely and so tightly to him, she could do little but struggle ineffectively. Or more accurately ineffective, unless you counted the fact that her squirming was rapidly driving him to distraction, which in turn led him to curse himself for his lack of control.

She started to wake, the tension in her eased, and she stilled. A startled gasp filled the air, and he tightened his arms minutely. It took a few minutes before she came back to herself completely, but when she did she turned her face towards him. She looked puzzled, as if she were surprised to see him there, and then asked in a quiet, confused voice. "Deck?"

"Yes, Dri, it's me. It's alright. I'm here."

A slight glance at the way they were positioned and a moment to acknowledge why and he saw her do something that she hadn't done in years. She blushed, embarrassed at both the situation and the situation that it had place them in. Normally she would have loved having him hold her like this, it made her feel so safe, but now with things being the way they were between them and him having no reason for it other than not wanting to have to deal with blood stains on the sheets it somehow seemed wrong, perverse, hollow. "I'm sorry, I thought I'd stopped having those."

"They never go away completely. They get better, but they never go away. Do you want to tell me what it was about?" He kept his voice soft, not wanting her to think that he was judging her or disapproved.

"Not particularly, but I do think that you deserve to know why you got beaten before breakfast." He said nothing, instead he merely waited patiently for her to continue. "You remember the landslides in Guatemala in 2009?" He nodded. "I thought you would, and I'm pretty sure that you remember the medical teams that were trapped."

Understanding dawned on his face. "You were one of the doctors trapped."

"Yes. I went to push a little girl out of the way, she made it to safety, but I didn't. A few days later her father got the locals together to get us out after he realized that the agency we were helping wasn't going to send anyone."

"And what jackass made that decision?"

"The director of emergency services. It's not really something that he could be blamed for. He'd been trying to get doctors into that area for over a decade. No rescue organization was going to send in more help if a whole team died under his direction."

"He damn well can and will be blamed for it."

"It was collateral damage Deck. You of all people should understand that."

"Where you're concerned? No, I don't. How long did it take them to get you out?"

"Nine days."

"Then by god that's how long that bastard will scream if I ever get my hands on him." He tightened his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. "You could have died Dri."

"I almost did. I thought about a lot of things while I was down there. I decided that there were things that I just wasn't ready to let go of so I decided that I'd stick around a little bit longer."

"I'm glad you did."

"So am I. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this. Seeing you again was one of the reasons that I stuck around."

Something about that statement angered him. He wasn't sure why or how, but it managed to trample on his every nerve and his badly bruised pride. "If I was so damned important to you then why did you leave?"

"I had my reasons."

"Which you refuse to share with me, years together and all I get is a letter saying Deck I'm leaving. Don't look for me."

"It would have hurt you more if I had stayed, and you couldn't come with me."

"How do you figure that?"

"You couldn't leave your kids Deck…you and I both know that. There were a great number of other things going on at the time that you didn't know about."

"That you're still going to refuse to tell me?"

"They're as dangerous to you now as they were then, if not more so." She cupped his cheek in her palm. "I'll apologize for hurting you, because god knows I'm sorry for doing so. But I will not apologize for keeping you safe, even if you end up hating me for it."

He wasn't really sure how to respond to that. It'd been years since anyone had told him that they were doing something for his own good. It'd been even longer since he'd been inclined to believe it when they did. "We need to get out of this area. It'll be dusk soon, safer to move then. In the meantime, I'd suggest that you have something to eat before the wind blows through here and knocks you over."

"Honestly Deck…I'm not that bad."

To prove his point he raised an eyebrow and circled his hands around her waist. "Really, well if that's the case my hands must have grown considerably since the last time we met Dri."

"Point taken. What have we got?"

He smiled at the easy victory, and pulled away. "Keep your seat, one lady swooning at my feet is enough for today. Now we had the choices of Millie's unidentifiable meat loaf, mystery meat, or the only decent smelling thing in the place and just what the doctor ordered for someone on the mend best thing next to chicken noodle soup, chicken and dumplings."

He helped her sit more comfortably, then brought over a still steaming bowl and a spoon and placed them in her hands. Upon seeing that she was indeed strong enough to hold the bowl in her lap, and feed herself he went over to the desk and fetched his own bowl. Chuckling lightly to himself at the look on her face of combined enjoyment and horror. She caught his expression and answered with a rueful grin of her own. "This tastes wonderful Deck, I'll admit that but I can fell my arteries clogging as we speak."

"Relax Dri, a little bit of lard now and again never hurt anyone. Now eat up or next time I bring dinner back I'll go out of my way to find something deep fried."

"Oh the horrors." And as the meal continued they slid into their easy banter as if they'd never been apart all the while ignoring that which lay between them, the secrets that still had the power to tear their lives apart at less than a moments notice. But for the moment, if one had looked in on them they wouldn't have seen one of the most feared men in the military, nor a fugitive on the run. They simply would have seen two people, either falling into or slipping somewhat reluctantly back into love, despite knowing for all the reasons in the world that they shouldn't.

* * *

So what do you think? Is anyone still reading this long forgotten story? Please do review, or e-mail me at: Let me know what you think? I won't insult ya'll by saying that I write faster if I have feedback, but I will admit that hearing from ya'll makes my day. And all comments are greatly appreciated! Even flames, which will be used to keep my feet warm as I sit typing away at my computer :). 


End file.
